Former 55 Official Acquitted on Grounds of Insanity; Two Others Receive Prison Terms

A three year-old Nazi war crimes trial, the longest on record, ended today with the acquittal of the chief defendant on grounds of insanity and the sentencing of two others to prison terms of moderate length. The attorney general had demanded life imprisonment for all three for war crimes committed at the notorious Buchenwald concentration camp. The court freed former SS battalion leader Heldmut Bishop who was certified as medically insane and was dragged screaming from the courtroom. An eight-and-a-half year sentence was imposed on former SS officer Erwin Busta, 64, and a seven-and-a half year sentence on Ernst Sander, 56. Both were convicted of abetting murder in two separate instances and Busta was also found guilty of attempted murder. The trial began on Nov. 7, 1967. Three hundred witnesses were heard, among them Hitler’s former Armaments Minister, Albert Speer who was recently freed from Spandau prison. The Judges and attorneys travelled to Poland, Russia, France and Holland during the course of the trial to hear testimony.